Copper Mountain Green Team

Resort-Wide Initiatives

The Quest to be Bottle Free

Copper Mountain installed highly efficient bottle re-filling stations around the resort in its quest to be 100 percent plastic bottle free. Join us in our pledge to significantly reduce the amount of plastic purchased and discarded by using refillable water bottles. Each time a bottle is refilled, guests are helping to reduce the amount of plastic being thrown away, or even the resources needed to recycle it.

Zero Waste

Copper’s Food and Beverage Division has implemented a composting program with goal of zero waste at Copper Conference Center, Copper Station and Union Creek outlets. In 2013, these locations on the resort have recycled over 151 tons of waste and composted over 14 tons of “garbage,” keeping 165 tons of waste out of local landfills.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation

The easiest and most accessible means available to all Copper Mountain employees of reducing energy consumption is through awareness, efficient behavior(s) and eliminating wasteful practices. These can be as simple as turning off unused lights and equipment, closing doors and windows, or turning down the thermostat a few degrees. In addition to encouraging energy conserving behavior Copper Mountain’s current initiatives are described below based on energy type. Projects include a new (6 KW) solar thermal heating system at Copper's Solitude Cafe, (2) 1.2 kW vertical axis wind turbines located near Patrol Headquarters and replacement of all windows at the EDGE, the employee housing building on resort, to reduce heat-related consumption. A 4.2KW photo voltaic system installed at the Transportation Center provides an electrical offset for the power used in the building and generates an average of 5,900KHW annually. (This information is in the History section.)

Capital Investment

Copper Mountain Resort is further committed to reducing its carbon footprint by investing dollars in projects on-resort. The first project is a hydroelectric project to add additional snowmaking potential. The projected project could generate approximately 1.1 KW hours of energy per year – enough energy to power five detachable quad chairlifts. Also, investment has been made in energy-efficient snowmaking equipment.

Education & Awareness

Survey

For the first time during the 2012/13 winter, Copper surveyed over 800 guests to better understand the awareness and importance our guests place on green efforts. Some key findings are:

39% of guests are aware of green efforts Copper has made to be environmentally friendly.

Guests are most aware of Copper’s zero waste composting and recycling efforts.

2 out of 3 guests consider environmental practices when choosing a resort.

The first year results suggest that green efforts do have a positive impact on Copper visitation, which is encouraging on both an environmental and financial front. Going forward, the Green Team plans to learn from the survey results and emulate the zero waste marketing program among other initiatives. It hopes to increase awareness among our guests much beyond the first year baseline, and will continue surveys to measure its success.

Idle-Free Copper

Exhaust emissions can affect respiratory health and affect people with asthma; diesel fuels in particular contain toxic exhaust components such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. These emissions also contain carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollutants that lead to smog and climate change.

Copper Mountain is committed to reducing these emissions by raising awareness across the resort on the dangers of exhaust emissions and encouraging guests and incoming distributors to turn off their vehicle engines whenever possible. This will be done primarily through signs placed in key loading and unloading areas across the resort. This will create a healthier and more pleasant environment for our guests.